Bleach* Surfing the Fringe festival, the Gold Coast’ inaugural surf culture festival, opens today with various spectacular events across the coast.
Bleach* Surfing the Fringe will host over fifty-five art and photography installations, film screenings, music, talks, fashion, theatre and food events staged across the beaches, foreshores and major venues unique to the Southern Gold Coast from 11-26 Feb 2012. For 16 days, across 10kms, over 80 artists and musicians will be on display.
Bleach* Street will open the festival today with a free street party that will take over Currumbin’s Tomewin St with vibrant art displays, designer markets stalls and a wealth of children’s activities including the premiere of The Surfer and The Mermaid. Music acts announced for Bleach* Street include upbeat surf reggae greats King Tide, the stellar rock and roots of Band of Frequencies, local favourites A French Butler Called Smith, Oceanics, Haldane’s Daughters, Nadia Sunde and the Swing Set and recent three time Australian Songwriter Association National award winners The Lamplights.
Pop Up Bleach* galleries housed in shipping containers laid on prominent beach foreshores will also open today. These temporary galleries will house the works of visual surf-inspired artists like Joel Rea, Jae Copp, Potts and Josh Rufford as well as a range of experimental photographers and filmmakers, like legendary lens men Dick Hoole and Albe Falzon right through to young progressive photographers like Trent Mitchell, Shelli Bankier and Nick Lawrence to name but few.
Bleach* Collective galleries housing a plethora of surf inspired art, photography and sculpture will also open at a range of locations today, and remain open during business hours for the duration of the festival. These exhibitions can be found at participating galleries such as Kirra Hill Cultural & Community Centre, Kallalu, Café Dbar, Bambi Deluxe, Little Lido Espresso Bar, and well as shopfronts in Coolangatta and Tugun reclaimed by Gold Spaces urban renewal project
Stargazers scanning the night skies will also catch Bleach* On The Rocks premiere this evening at 6.30pm. This series of art projection evenings set to take place at Currumbin’s iconic Elephant Rock will include celebrated visual artists, including a series of images and film projections curated by Gold Coast’s own Claudio Kirac (Feb 19), film projects by Cyrus Sutton (Feb 12, 18, 26) and festival opening evening tonight as well as closing weekend (Feb 11, 25) with Kellie O’Dempsey.
Bleach* Surfing the Fringe Festival Schedule:
Feb 7 -12 – Breaka Burleigh Pro
Feb 11 – 26 – Bleach* Goldspace and Bleach* Collective exhibitions – Kirra Hill Community & Cultural Centre, Kallalu, Café Dbar, Bambi Deluxe, Little Lido Espresso Bar, and well as reclaimed shopfronts in Coolangatta and Tugun. Opening times vary.
Feb 11
Bleach* Street– Tomewin St Currumbin 11-6 pm
The Surfer and The Mermaid – Surf World Museum Currumbin 1pm, 2.30, 4 pm – entry by gold coin donation
Bleach* Groms – south side of Elephant Rock, Currumbin Beach 11am-3pm
Bleach* On The Rocks Projections – Elephant Rock Currumbin 6.30- 9pm
Pop Up Bleach – Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 3pm – 8pm
Opening Party feat Dune Rats – Neverland Coolangatta (ticketed event)
Feb 12
The Surfer and The Mermaid – Surf World Museum Currumbin 1pm, 2.30, 4 pm – entry by gold coin donation
Bleach* On The Rocks Projections – Elephant Rock Currumbin 7- 9pm
Bleach Travelling Music Truck Concert – Pirates Alive, various times and locations
Pop Up Bleach – Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 3 – 8pm
Feb 13 – 14
The Surfer and The Mermaid schools and family program – Surf World Gold Coast Museum, Currumbin (entry by gold coin donation
Feb 15
Oceanscape – Kallalu Coolangatta 6.30pm
Goons of Doom, Pirates Alive– Neverland Coolangatta (ticketed event)
Feb 16
Public Debate: Is Surfing an Art or a Sport? – Surf World Gold Coast Museum Currumbin – entry by gold coin donation
Pop Up Bleach– Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 4-8pm
Feb 17-19- Kirra Teams Challenge
Feb 17
Retrospect Film Night – Surf World Gold Coast Museum, Currumbin – entry by donation 6pm
Pop Up Bleach – Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 4-8pm
Tijuana Cartel– SoundLounge, Currumbin RSL 8pm (ticketed event)
In Natural Flow feat. 3lla – Komune Coolangatta 7pm – by donation
Feb 18
Kirra Dreaming – Lucas Proudfoot with Circular Rhythm children’s workshops, acoustic performances, Kirra Hill C&CC 11am-3.30pm
Tim Baker writing workshops – Kirra Hill C&CC 12.30-2.30 pm (ticketed event)
Patagonia Summer Surf Films – Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta 7-9pm
Bleach* On The Rocks Projections – Elephant Rock Currumbin 7-9pm
Pop Up Bleach – Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 3-8pm
Depths of Balsa – Never Land Bar Coolangatta 9pm (ticketed event)
Feb 19
Disabled Surfers ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ Day – Len Wort Park Currumbin, 9am
Bleach Travelling Music Truck Concert – Various times and locations
Summer Surf Films – Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta 7-9pm
Bleach* On The Rocks Projections– Elephant Rock Currumbin 7-9pm
Sway on Sunset bikini retrospective feat Matt McHugh– Komune, Coolangatta 4-8pm (ticketed event)
Pop Up Bleach– Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 3-8pm
Feb 21
Tugun Chats – Tugun SLSC, Tugun 6pm
Feb 22
Surfing Australia Greenroom Conference – Twin Towns Resort Coolangatta (ticketed event) 9 am
Pop Up Bleach – Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 4-8pm
Feb 23- March 6 – Dreamland Claudio Kirac Exhibition, Comb Artspace, Coolangatta, from 12pm
Feb 23
Quality Vs Quanitity– Surf World Gold Coast Museum Currumbin 6.30pm
Pop Up Bleach– Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 4-8pm
Feb 24
Sons of Beaches ’72 movie and installation – Komune, Coolangatta 7.30pm
The Break & Windy Hills – SoundLounge, Currumbin RSL (ticketed event)
Pop Up Bleach – Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 4-8pm
Feb 25- March 7 – Quiksilver & Roxy Pro
Feb 25
Sea Salt Sunrise – Kirra foreshore, 5.30 am (ticketed event)
Bustin Down the Door, Teahupoo Uncut movie screening – Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta, 6.30-9pm
Bleach* On The Rocks Projections– Elephant Rock Currumbin 7-9pm
Pop Up Bleach – Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 3-8pm
Sure Cut Kids – Never Land Bar, Coolangatta 8pm
Feb 26
Vintage Surfboard Swap Meet– Underground Surf, Coolangatta 10am
Bleach Music Truck Concert – Currumbin Alley 3-4 pm
Pop Up Bleach– Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta 3-8pm
Bleach Music Truck Concert – Various times and locations
Bleach* On The Rocks Projections– Elephant Rock Currumbin 7-9pm
Blue King Brown feat. Tabura – SoundLounge, Currumbin RSL 3-8.30pm (ticketed event)
Luau Closing Party– Surf World Gold Coast Museum, Currumbin 6pm (ticketed event)
March 4 – Alley Fish Fry, Currumbin Alley
In case of rain, events will run regardless; bring a ‘brolly!
Schedule subject to change.
For up-to-the-minute festival updates visit www.facebook.com/BleachFestival
Visit the Bleach* website filled with event descriptions, ticketing information, artist profiles, and venue details: www.bleachfestival.com.au